Cheesy Bacon & Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 loaf (8 ounces) Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (5 cups)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings.

Drain bacon on paper towels; crumble and set aside. Add onion to drippings in skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened.

Spread 1/2 of the bread cubes in 13x9-inch baking dish. Layer with 1/2 each of the onion, bacon, Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Spread evenly with cottage cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes, onion, bacon, Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese.

Beat eggs in medium bowl until foamy. Add milk, mustard, nutmeg and pepper; beat until well blended. Pour evenly over top. Press bread cubes lightly into egg mixture until completely covered.

Let stand 10 minutes.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until center is set and top is golden brown.

Sausage Egg Biscuit Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground pork sausage with sage, crumbled
• 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 4 frozen pre-baked biscuits
• 10 eggs
• 1-1/4 cups of milk
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup frozen broccoli cuts, defrosted
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. In an 11'' oven-safe pan, sauté the pork sausage, peppers, and onions over medium-high heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until the sausage is fully cooked. Remove from heat.

Cut each biscuit into about 8 pieces and arrange evenly in the pan with the sausage, peppers, and onions.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Stir in the broccoli and cheese. Pour the mixture over the sausage, peppers, onions, and biscuits. Give the mixture a slight stir to disperse the ingredients, then press the biscuits down with the back of your spoon to cover them in the egg mixture.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

Caramel Apple Butter

Ingredients:

• 4 lb. firm, crisp apples, like Fuji or King David
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp. butter
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. kosher salt

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Peel and core apples; cut them into eighths. Toss with oil and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Roast for 1½ hours, until golden; set aside. When apples are cool enough to handle, place in the bowl of a food processor and purée slightly; set aside.

In a 4-qt. saucepan over high heat, combine granulated sugar and ½ cup water. Cook without stirring, 7–9 minutes, or until a candy thermometer reads 385°. When it starts to caramelize, swirl the pan gently for even color. Slowly whisk in cream, then butter. Lower heat to medium and whisk until thick, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and whisk in brown sugar. With the motor of the food processor running, stream caramel into bowl with apples and purée until slightly smooth. Add lemon juice, vanilla, and salt and mix until combined.

Makes 3 cups. 

Apple & Sausage Strata

Ingredients:

Vanilla Sauce:
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
6 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar

Strata:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
5 medium baking apples, such as Golden Delicious, peeled, cored, and quartered
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Juice of ½ a lemon
¾ cup sugar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Italian or French bread loaf or baguette (about 15 oz.) cut crosswise into ½" slices
1 pound pre-cooked sausage, sliced

Directions:

To make the vanilla sauce: Whisk together sugar and yolks in a 4—qt. saucepan; add milk and vanilla bean with seeds, and stir until smooth. Place saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; chill until thickened.

To make the strata: Heat oven to 375°. Heat butter in a 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples, and cook, stirring, until just soft, about 12 minutes. Add ¼ cup brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and juice, and cook until sugar melts and apples are beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk remaining brown sugar along with sugar, salt, and eggs until smooth. Add milk, cream, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Add bread slices to skillet with apples and sausage slices, nestling them in among the apples, and then pour egg mixture over top, making sure all bread and apples are covered. Let sit for 20 minutes, pressing down bread once or twice, until bread soaks up most of the egg mixture.

Bake until golden brown and slightly puffed, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and then scoop into serving bowls and drizzle with vanilla sauce.

Slow Cooker Green Beans and Bacon

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh string bean, cut into 1-inch lengths ( OR leave whole, cut ends)
• 6 - 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 - 2 tablespoon garlic, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Place bacon at the bottom of the slow cooker. Place other ingredients on top of the bacon in crock pot. Stir. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. If you have a large slow cooker, you can double the recipe.

Pimento Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• Half of an onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ounces diced jarred pimentos
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 to 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add onion and cook and stir until translucent. Add garlic; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add pimentos and season with salt and pepper.

Stir in cream cheese and milk, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more to thin out the sauce as needed. Once the cream cheese is completely incorporated and the mixture is bubbly, stir in cheddar cheese until melted. 

Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

Easy Microwave Potato Chips

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

1 potato, sliced paper thin (peel optional)

Directions:

Pour the vegetable oil into a plastic bag (a produce bag works well). Add the potato slices, and shake to coat.  

Coat a large dinner plate lightly with oil or cooking spray. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on the dish.

Cook in the microwave for 3 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned (if not browned, they will not become crisp). Times will vary depending on the power of your microwave. Remove chips from plate, and toss with salt (or other seasonings). Let cool. Repeat process with the remaining potato slices. You will not need to keep oiling the plate.